Columbus Chamber recognizes six small business owners

The Columbus Chamber and its Small Business Council honored six local small business leaders during the 27th annual Small Business Forum and Leader Awards at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown on Tuesday.

This year, the Small Business Leader Awards span five categories: Diversity Leadership, EcoBusiness, Young Professional Leadership, Adapt & Innovate, and Emerging Excellence.

“Small businesses help drive the Columbus Region economy,” says Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Columbus Chamber. “The Small Business Leader Award finalists and recipients represent some of our very best, and the Chamber is pleased to recognize this group of innovative, dedicated and passionate leaders from our business community.”

The Diversity Leadership award −which recognizes a minority or woman-owned business leader who has made a direct impact on the marketplace and promotes inclusion in the workplace, as well as within the community− went to Farah Majidzadeh of Resource International Inc.

The EcoBusiness award −which recognizes a local business leader who promotes sustainability in business practices and the environment− went to Christopher Irion of e-Cycle LLC.

Derek Grosso of the Columbus Young Professionals Club LLC won the Young Professional Leadership award, which recognizes a young, local business professional already making a considerable contribution within the region.

Kristen Harris and Catherine Lang-Cline of Portfolio Creative won the Adapt & Innovate award, which recognizes a business leader or leaders who achieve success in spite of challenges.

The Emerging Excellence award −which recognizes a leader or leaders of a startup business gaining prominence within the region− wennt to Jim Lane of GBQ Redbank Advisors.

Award finalists and recipients were selected by a panel of Small Business Council and Columbus Chamber representatives. Award finalists include Justin Spring and Danielle Walton of BringShare and Adept Marketing; Gordon Scherer and Paul Keinath of DataCenter.BZ; Bobby Whitman and Matt Dopkiss of Dynamit; Otto Beatty and Brian Brooks of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co. LLC; and J.J. Rodeheffer, Andrew Lynch, and Edward Williams of Zipline Logistics.

Melanie McIntyre served as editorial director of The Metropreneur from its launch in August 2010 to May 2013. She is also a featured writer for Columbus Underground and writes about fashion, style and pop culture on her blog, Thoroughly Modern Melly. Melanie is an Ohio State University graduate, lives in the Short North, and enjoys reading and running.

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